2020 Boston Marathon Canceled
What impact will cancelling the marathon have on other events?
Last Thursday the organizers of the Boston Marathon made the tough call and canceled the 2020 Marathon. In March, the marathon was rescheduled from April 20th to September 14, 2020. (147 days delay)
This is the first time in the 124-year history that the marathon was canceled. The yearly event ran during the great depression, World Wars, snow and rainstorms.
Essential this means that any large events that are being held in the summer of 2020 are not going to happen.
Boston politicians were worried about the pandemic spread with the large gathering of spectators. They wanted to avoid a "second wave" much like what happened in the 1919 pandemic.
Spring Police Protests
Over the past five days there has been protesting all over the country - including in major cities around New England. Local media have been showing the large crowds gathering in front of the Massachusetts State House.
When I look at the footage, I wonder what the impact will be of the mass gathering. Will, there be a spike in COVID-19 cases or is such a gathering not going to be an issue since a majority of people are wearing masks.
If there is no spike reported in the next seven days, it could be a positive sign of a return to normal. Maybe it's simple enough to have masks on to help reduce the spread.
Boston Offices Are Open
Companies that have office space in Boston were allowed to open up this past Monday.
Wouldn't you know it.. traffic reports returned to the local media stations - radio and tv.
However, a lot of companies are encouraging workers to continue to work from home. There are two main reasons:
Children- Anyone with children are having to help with the distance learning. In addition, daycare is still closed forcing parents to take care of their infants while working from home.
Public Transportation - The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is still running on a reduce schedule. When possible, many buses are limiting the number of riders to help maintain social distance.
It will be interesting to see what Phase 2 will bring and how the mass gatherings impact the regular numbers.